Selective cross-over device



April 4, 1961 G. G. GRIMMER SELECTIVE CROSS-OVER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 25, 1956 INVENTOR ATTO/WVEVJ April 4, 1961 e. s. GRIMMER SELECTIVE CROSS-OVER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 25, 1956 Geo/ye G. Gr/mmer INVENTOR.

,4 rroa/yg m United States Patent Thisinvention relates to a selective cross-over device for use in wells which produce two zones separately through side-by-side tubing strings.

A device or" the general type contemplated by the present invention, for use in wells which produce two zones through the tubing and tubing-casing annulus, respectively, is shown and described on page 4003 of the 195556 edition of the Catalog of Oil' Field and Pipeline Equipment. Improvements in a'device of this general type, which adapt it for use in permanently completed wells, are disclosed in'a copending application, Serial No. 454,383, filed September 7, 1954, by John V. Fredd and Harry'B. Schramm. In each case, there is provided apparatus which includes ahousing connectable in the well tubing and flow directing tools removably laudable in the housing for selectively and separately directing lower zone production upwardly to ground level through one of thetubing and tubing-casing an nulus, and upper zone production through the other of said tubing and annulus.

There are many advantages to producing a two-zone well through sid-by-side strings, rather than through the tubing and tubing-casing annulus. For example, the

. space within the casing around the strings may be used on one of the tubing'strings.

An object of this invention is to provide a selective cross-over device which will permit the two production zones of a well to be conducted to ground level separately andselectively' through either of said side-by-side strin s."v g r r Another object is to provide,,in a device of the char- 2. well casing above the upper zone, and wherein a removable tool is shown disposed within the housing for directing flow from said two zones;

Fig. Zis a longitudinal sectional view of the portion of the two-zone well below that shown in Fig. 1, and with the lower portion of a removable tool disposed within the housing of the cross-over device for directing lower zone production through the rightmost tubing string, as seen in Fig. 1, and upper zone production through the leftmost string; 1

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a removable tool disposed within the housing for directing lower zone production through the leftmost string and upper zone production through said rightmost string;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the housing, taken substantially along broken line 44 of Fig.

' 1; and a wellhead in side-by-side relation for flowing the two 1 zones separately to the surface vlevel. Suspended from the lower ends of the tubing strings 13 and 14 is an elongate housing 15 of the cross-over device which is packed oif concentrically within the well casing above the upper zone at 16 and intermediate the upper and lower zones at 17. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the space about the tubing strings and housing above the packer 16 is isolated from both production zones, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the upper and lower zones are isolated acter above-described, a housing adapted to be suspended from said strings and of such construction as to be packedoif concentrically within the casing above the upper zone and to receive removable flow tools of substantially no greater length than required in connection with earlier selective cross-over devices.

from one another bymeans of the packer 17.

The housing 15 includes a tubular member 18. having an inner passageway 19 extending longitudinally there through anda tubular sleeve 20 about the tubular member 18 to provide'an outer passageway 21 between the memberand sleeve. As can be seen from Fig. l of the drawings, the upper end of the tubular sleeve 20 is arranged substan'tially tangentially of the tubular member, and the lower end of the sleeve is arranged substantially concentrically thereof. Thus, the outer passageway'21 tapers downwardly from an eccentric portion at its upper end to a substantially annular portion at its lower end. The lower portion of the outerpassageway 21 is closed above the packer 16 by an annular abutment 22 on the tubular member to which the lower end-of the tubular V sleeve 20 is welded as at 23. The tubular member 18 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed ports '24 therethrough just above the abutment 22 so as to connect the. lower portion of outer passageway 21 with inner passageway H.

As: shown in the lower portion of Fig. 1, the, lower end I of the tubularmember 18 is threadedlyv connected to a Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon'a consideration of the written specification, theattached claims and-the annexed drawings. I I In the drawings, wherein like reference characters are t used throughout to designate like parts:

. Fig. lris a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a two-zone'well in whichthe housing of across-over device constructed in" accordance with the "present invention -is suspended from the lower end of a pairof side-by-side tubing strings and packed otlfconcentrically within the [coupling 25 having a shoulder 25a laudable upon the packer 16. It 'is contemplatedthat the packer'ldwhich is shown diagrammatically inthe drawings/may cornprise any commercially available concentric type packer" which is run and set by wire line, such as that shown and described on'page 537 of the 12555-56 editionfof the Composite Catalog of Oil Field and PipelineEquipment; A shown in Figs. 2' and 3, the lower end of the coupling 25 is threadedly connected to a'tubular extension 26 forming" the lower end-of the housing 15 which is'packedoff at 17 concentrically within the casing inter- 'mediate the .two production zones} "As can be seen from drawinga the bores througheachfof the coupling and f tubular extension form continuations or the inner passage way 19. The extension 26 is provided with a plurality of ports 27 therein which communicate the upper zone production with the interior of the housing below the ports 42, and the lower end of the extension is open to communicate lower zone production with the interior of the housing beneath the ports 27,

With a removable tool 28 landed within the housing 15, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, lower zone'production is flowed upwardly through the tool and inner passageway thereabove into the tubing string 14, while upper zone production is flowed annularly of the tool and through the ports 24 and outer passageway 21 into tubing string 13. On the other hand, with a removable tool 29 connected to the lower end of the upper portion of the tool 28 shown in Fig. land landed within the housing 15, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, lower zone production is crossed over from the lower end of the interior of the tool to the space annularly thereof and flowed through the ports 24 and outer passageway 21 into tubing string 13. At the same time, upper zone production is crossed over from the space annularly of the tool to the upper end of the interior of the tool and flowed through the inner passageway thereabove into the tubing string 14.

As described in connection with the above-mentioned publication, as well as in connection with the above-mentioned copending patent application, each of the tools 28 and 29 may be landed within and removed from the positions shown for selectively flowing the well in the manner above-described. In this respect, it will be noted that the tubing string 13 in this particular embodiment of the invention is considerably smaller incapacity than the tubing string 14, so that'it may be desirable to flow the zone having the least pressure through the smaller of the strings.

The inner passageway 19 through the tubular member 18 of the housing, as well as the continuation thereof through the coupling 25 and tubular extension 26, are full-opening in the sense that the minimum diameter thereof corresponds to the drift diameter of the tubing string 14. Thus, the device is particularly well-adapted for use in permanently completed wells wherein various oil tools may be passed downwardly through the tubing string 14 and housing 15 for workover operations on the lower zone. For this purpose, and as described in the aforementioned copending application, each of the tools 28 and 29 are provided with landing and locking'parts receivable within recesses in the passageway 19 which do not obstruct the full-opening therethrough.

Thus, as indicated in Fig.1, the upper end of each of the flow tools 28 and 29, respectively, may comprise a type S Otis removable mandrel assembly, as shown on page 4012 of the aforementioned 11955-56 edition of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipeline Equipment. This assembly includes an imperforate tubular mandrel 30 which is lowerable on a wire line into spaced relation within a nipple 34 forming an intermediate portion of the tubular member 18. This mandrel carries locking dogs 31 and selector keys 31a fordisposal within and removal from complementary recesses 32 and 33 within the nipple 34. Seal means 35- are disposed about the mandrel for sealing engagement with a polished surface 36 on the bore of the nipple 34 above the ports 24 in the tubular member 18. 'Thus, the flow of produc tion annularly about the mandrel 30 ofeither of the tools is directed outwardly through the ports -24'and into the outer passageway 21.

As shown in Fig. 2, the flow tool 28 is provided with a tubular body 37 connected to the lower end of mandrel 36 for disposal in spaced relation within the passageway through the tubular member 18, flow sub 25 and tubular extension 26. This body is. imperforate throughout its length and carriessealmeans 37a thereabout for sealing engagement with a polished surface 39 onthe bore of the tubular extension 26 intermediate the ports 27 and the lower open end of the tubular extension, so as to direct lower zone production, which enters its lower end through ports 38, into the string 14. On the other hand, upper zone production, which enters the annular space about the tool 28 through the ports 27, is directed upwardly into the ports 24 and thus through outer passageway 21 into tubing string 13.

As shown in Fig. 3, the tubular body 40 of the tool 29 is provided with ports 41 therethrough intermediate the upper end thereof which is connected to the mandrel 3t) and an upper seal means 42 disposed thereabout for sealing engagement with a polished surface 43 on the bore of the tubular extension 26 above the ports 27. Additionally, the tubular body 40 is provided with ports 46 therethrough intermediate the upper seal means 42 and a lower seal means 44 thereabout scalable with the polished surface 39 of the tubular extension below the ports 27 and above the open lower end of the tubular extension 26. Thus, lower zone production is directed into the lower end of the tubular body 40 through ports 40a beneath the ports 46. Upper zone production, on the other hand, is directed from the ports 27 and into the ports 46 through the annular space about the tool 29 intermediate seal means 42 and 44.

A tube 47 having a closed lower end and open at its upper end is disposed within and sealed off with respect to the tubular body 40 above the ports 41. A spider 48 on the tube 47 having radial ports 49 therethrough is secured within the body 40 of the tool in a manner to communicate the ports 49 with ports 46 of the body and thus direct the upper zone production into the interior of the tube 47, while by-passing lower zone production around the spider 48 (see Fig. 5) and through an annular space between the tube 47 and interior of the body 40 into ports 41. As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 3, upper zone production flows upwardly through the open upper end of the tube 47 and tool 29 into the string 14, while lower zone production flows upwardly from the ports 41 through the annular space between the tool 29 and the housing above seal means 42 and into the outer passageway 21 and string 13 through the ports 24.

A more complete description of the above tools may be obtained from the aforementioned publication and copending patent application. It is important to note, in this respect, that it is the novel construction of the housing 15 which permits'the use, in the cross-over device of the present invention, of flow directing tools of substantially no greater length than those usable in connection with earlier cross-over devices. More particularly, the novel construction of the housing 15 enables the use of removable fiow directing tools ofminimum length, while at the same time permitting the housing to be packed off concentrically within the casing.

Referring now to certain of the details of the upper portion of the housing 15, as it is shown in Fig. l, the upper ends of the tubular member 18 and tubular sleeve 20 are connected to the'lower ends of the tubing strings l3 and 14 by means of a fitting 53. This fitting is imperforate except for openings 54 and 55 therethrough, the upper ends of which threadedly receive the strings for communicating the interior of string 14 with the inner passageway 19 and the interior of string 13 with the outer passageway 21. More particularly, the tubular member 18 includes a pup joint 59 having its lower end coupled at r 51 to the landing nipple 34 and threadedly received at its upper end within the lower end of fitting'opening 55. If desired, the joint 50 may be welded to the lower side of tie fitting about the opening 55. Connected between the upper end of the sleeve Ztl and lower end of the fitting 53 as by welding at'56, in surrounding relation to the openings 54 and 55, is an eccentric adapter 52.

The lower end of the selective landing nipp1e'34 of the tubular member 18 is threadedly connected to allow sub 57 through which the ports 24 are provided and upon which the annular abutment 22 is disposed. v It will be noted that the tubular sleeve 20 is substantial- 153. Apparatus o-fthe character, defined in 'clai' {wherein said,portmeanscomprises a plurality of substanrtially" circumferentiallydisposed ports.

1y straight so that the inclination of outer passageway 21 i with respect to inner passageway 19 through the housing 15 is substantially constant. It will further be noted that the concentric arrangement of the tubular member 18 within the lower end of tubular sleeve 20 not only en: ables the housing to be concentrically packed off within the casing just below the intersection of the two passageways, but also that it enables the ports 24 to be disposed circumferentially about the tubular member 18, whereby the capacity thereof is sufliciently large to provide unrestricted flow of production from the inner passageway of the housing into the outer passageway thereof.

In addition to its many other novel features, the housing 15 is made up principally of standard parts interconnected in a simple and space-saving manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus.

It will be understood that certain features and sub-conibinations are of utility and may be employed without reference' to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The invention having been described, what is claimed is:

1-FOI use at a subsurface level in a two-zone well wherein productionis flowed to ground level through a pair of side-by-side tubing strings, apparatus comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal passage there through forming a first flow passageway, a tubular sleeve about the'tubular member to provide a second flow passageway therebetween, the upper end of the tubular sleeve being -arranged'sub stantially tangentially of the upper end of thetubular member and the lower end of said sleeve beingarranged substantially concentrically of said member, means closing the lower end of the second fio-w passageway, afitting. on the upper ends of said sleeve and member having a 'pair ofside-by-side openings therethrough, one of said openings communicating at itslower end with 'said first flow passageway and the other of said openings communicating at its lower end with said second ffl owpas'sageway, meansat theupper ends of each of said openings for receiving the lower end of one of said tubing strings to provide flow communication between said tubing strings and said flow passageway, port means through the tubular member "providing communication between said first flow passageway and said second flow passageway ,2. Apparatus of thecharacter defined in claim 1,

wherein said sealing surface defines the minimum diameter through said: firstfiow. passageway and the :fitting opening communicating therewith,

4.1:Apparatus r the oharactersdefined in claim 1 wherein the upper. end ofthe tubular member isprovided with'male"threads--connected to female threads in the i loweri'endof theopening through saidfitting communh eating with the first flow passageway, and said attachment frneans. comprises female threads in the upper end of each ofsaidfitting openingsi a a 5;. Wel l .apparatus'for use ina two-zone'well comprising -an'elongate housing-adapted to bemounted inflow V s'communicatirig connection withj side-by-si-de tubing strings a afasubsurface.level'within thefwell, said, housing having 75 tionwith respectto at leasttwo of said s ur-faces.

a first tubular passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and a second passageway separatefrom said first passageway, the upper end of the second passageway being arranged eccentrically of the first passageway and the lower end of said second passageway being closed, a fitting on the upper end of the housing having a pair of openings therethrough, one of said'openings communicating at its lower end with said first passageway and the other of said openings communicating at its lower end with said second passageway, means at the upper end of each of said openings for receiving the lower end of one of the tubing strings for establishing communication between said openings and said tubing strings, a port in the housing providing communication between the lower end of the second passageway and said first passageway, another port in the housing providing communication between said first passageway and the exterior of the housing, sealing surfaces on said housing within said first passageway above, intermediate and below said ports, and means on said housing for removably landing a well tool within the first passageway in sealed off relation with respect to at least two of said surfaces.

6. For use at a subsurface level in a two-zone well wherein production is flowed to ground level through a pair of side-by-side tubing strings, apparatus comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal passage therethrough forming a first flow passageway, a tubular sleeve about the tubular member to provide a second flow passageway therebetween, the upper end of the tubular sleeve being arranged substantially tangentially of the upper end of the tubular member and the lower end of said sleeve being arranged substantially concentrically of said member, means closing the lower end of the second flow passageway, a fitting on the upper ends of said sleeve and member having a pair' of side-by-side openings therethe second passageway closing means, a sealingsurface in the first passageway in the tubular member above said port means, and means on said tubular member for removablylanding a well tool within the first flow passage- I just above the second passageway closing means, a sealway in sealed oif relation surface. s V 7. Well' apparatus for use in a two-zone well compriswith respect to said sealing ing' an elongate housing adapted to be suspended from sideby-sidetubing strings at a subsurface level within the well, said housing having a first tubular passageway passageway being closed, a fitting on the upper end of the housing having a pair of openings therethrough, one of said openings communicating at its lowerend with said first passageway and the other of said openings cornmunicating at its lower end with said second passageway, means at the upper endsof each of said openings for attachment to the lower end of one of the tubing strings, a port :in the housing providing communication between the lower endofthe second passageway and said ;first'passageway,' another port in the housingproviding communication between saidfirst passageway below the first-mentioned port-and theexterior of the lower portion of.=-the housing,- sealing surfaces on said housing within said first"passagewayabove, intermediate, and .below said ports, and means on said housing for removably, landing a Well tool within the first passageway in sealed off rela- 8. Well apparatus of the character defined in claim 7, wherein the minimum diameter through the first passageway corresponds to the drift diameter of the tubing string to which the upper end of the fitting opening communicating therewith is attachable.

9. In a two-zone well, wherein a pair of tubing strings extend downwardly from the well head in sidc-by-side relation, apparatus comprising an elongate housing having flow communicating connection with said tubing strings and spaced upper and lower packing means sealing between said housing and the well casing, said upper packing means sealing above the upper zone and said lower packing means sealing intermediate said zones, said housing having an inner tubular passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and an outer passageway about the inner passageway, the upper end of the outer passageway being arranged eccentrically of the inner passageway and the lower end of said outer passageway being arranged substantially annularly of said inner passageway and communicating with the inner passageway above the upper packing means, the lower end of said outer passageway being closed, a fitting on the upper end of the housing connecting said housing to the lower ends of the tubing strings and having a pair of openings therethrough, one of said openings providing communication between one of said tubing strings and the inner passageway of said housing and the other of said openings providing communication between the interior of the other of said tubing strings and the outer passageway of said housing, a first port in the housing communicating the inner passageway with the housing exterior intermediate the upper and lower packing means, a second port in the housing communicating the inner passageway with the exterior of the housing below the lower packing means, and a flow directing tool removably locatable within the inner passageway of the housing, said tool having means providing fluid flow passages for separately communicating the second port with one of the outer passageway and the inner passageway above the tool and the first port with the other of the outer passageway and inner passageway above the tool.

10. Apparatus of the character defined in claim 9, wherein the minimum diameter through the inner passageway corresponds to the drift diameter of the tubing string with which its fitting opening communicates.

11. In a two-zone well, wherein a pair of tubing strings extend downwardly from the well head in side-by-side relation, apparatus comprising an elongate housing having a flow communicating connection with said tubing strings and spaced upper and lower packers sealing between the housing and the well casing, said upper packer sealing above the upper zone and said lower packer sealing intermediate said zones, said housing having an inner tubular passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and an outer passageway about the inner passage,- way, the upper end of the outer passageway being arranged eccentrically of the inner passageway and the lowerend of said outer passageway being arranged substantially annularly of said inner passageway and communicating with the inner passageway above the upper packer, the lower end of said outer passageway being closed, a fitting on theupper end of the housing connecting said housing to the lower ends of the tubing strings and having a pair of openings therethrough, one of said openings communicating the interior of one of said strings with the inner passageway and the other of said openings with the outer passageway, a first port in the housing communicating the inner passageway with the housingexterh or intermediate the upper and lower packers, a second port in the housing communicating the inner passageway with the exterior of the housing below the lower packer,

and a flow directing tool removably'locatable within communicating the interior of the other of said. strings above the tool and the first port with the outer passageway.

12. In a two-zone well, wherein a pair of tubing strings extend downwardly from the well head in side-by-side relation, apparatus comprising an elongate housing having flow communicating connection with said tubing strings and spaced upper and lower packers sealing between the housing and the well casing, said upper packer sealing above the upper zone and said lower packer sealing intermediate said zones, said housing having an inner tubular passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and an outer passageway about the inner passageway, the upper end of the outer passageway being arranged annularly of the inner passageway and the lower end of said outer passageway being arranged substantially concentrically of said inner passageway and communicating with the inner passageway above the upper packer, the lower end of said outer passageway being closed, a fitting on the upper end of the housing connecting said housing to the lower ends of the tubing strings and having a pair of openings therethrough, one of said openings communicating the interior of one of said strings with the inner passageway and the other of said openings communicating the interior of the other of said strings with the outer passageway, a first port in the housing communicating the inner passageway with the housing exterior intermediate the upper and lower packers, a second port in the housing communicating the inner passageway with the exterior of the housing below the lower packer, and a fiow directing tool removably 'locatable within the inner passageway of the housing, said tool having means providing fluid flow passages for separately communicating the second port with the outer passageway and the first port with the inner passageway above the tool.

13. Well apparatus for use in a two-zone well wherein a pair of tubing strings extend downwardly from the well head in side-by-side relation, said well apparatus comprising an elongate housing having a first passageway extending longitudinally therethrough and a second passageway separate from said first passageway, the lower end of said second passageway being closed, means on the upper end of the housing providing for fluid flow communicating connection between said housing. and the lower ends of the tubing strings comprising a pair of openings, each disposed to communicate at its upper end with the lower end of one of said tubing strings, one of said openings communicating at its lower end with said first passageway and the other of said openings communicating at its lower end with said second passageway, a port in the housing providing communication between the lower end of the second passageway and said first passageway, another port in the housing providing communication between said first passageway at a point spaced longitudinally of said first passageway from the first mentioned port and the exterior of the lower portion of the housing, sealing surfaces on said housing within saidfirst passageway above, intermediate, and below said ports, and means on said housing for removably landing anwell tool within the first passageway in sealed off relation with respect to at least twoof said surfaces.

14. In a two-zone well, wherein a pair of tubing strings extend downwardly from the well head in side-by-side relation, apparatus comprising an elongate housing having fiow communicating connection with said tubing strings and spaced upper and lower packing means sealing between said housing and the'well casing, said 'upper packing rneans sealing above the upper zone and said lower packing means sealing intermediate said zones, said housing having a first passageway extending longitudinally of the housing and opening upwardly at its upper end,

said housing having means providing a second passageway therein laterally spaced from said first passageway and opening upwardly; the lower end of said second passageway communicating with said first passageway above the upper packing means, the lower end of said second passageway being closed, a fitting on the upper end of the housing connecting said housing to the lower ends of the tubing strings and having a pair of openings therethrough, one of said openings providing communication between one of said tubing strings and said first passageway of said housing and the other of said openings providing communication between the other of said tubing strings and said second passageway of said housing, a first port in the housing communicating said first passageway with the housing exterior intermediate the upper and lower packing means, a second port in the housing communicating said first passageway with the exterior of the housing below the lower packing means,

and a flow directing tool removably locatable within said 10 first passageway of the housing, said tool having means providing fluid flow passageways for separately communicating the second port with one of said first and second passageways above the tool and the first port with the other of said first and second passageways.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 203,044 Hoadley Apr. 30, 1878 1,861,332 Waitz May 31, 1932 2,368,428 Saurenman Jan. 30, 1945 2,717,041 Brown Sept. 6, 1955 2,766,831 Otis Oct. 16, 1956 2,785,754 True Mar. 19, 1957 

